Complex, divided EU gets philosophical about its future

Council of the European Union - Open Doors Day(Photo credit: ines saraiva)

By Robin Emmott – It is a club that is open to all of Europe, but not all members are equal.

As the euro zone debt crisis forces the currency area to integrate more closely to survive, those outside the bloc but in the European Union are worried that they will be left as junior partners without a say.

Danish diplomats described Friday’s (Mar 30, 2012) debate – the first time such a discussion has formally been on the agenda – as a “philosophical” discussion on the future of the European Union.

Many EU officials concede that things are getting unwieldy, even for experts who struggle to decipher the structures intended to unify the EU’s 500 million citizens.